The concept of cleaning a washing machine may appear new to a lot of people. This is mainly because, it does sound weird to wash an appliance that is built to wash clothes. However, if it is true that certain washing machines require periodic cleaning. After all, nobody would like the mold residues on the washed clothes. There are a few signs that may help you in determining if your machine needs any type of cleaning; such as the smell. If your machine smells weird (like stale flowers or stinky feet), you should consider cleaning it at earliest convenience.
How to Clean a Front-Loading Washing Machine
The first part of how to clean a washing machine will require a couple of rags and an all-purpose cleaner. In some cases bleach and vinegar would come in handy as well. The front loading machine door consist of rubber seal which is there to contain water inside the machine but in this process some water get stuck between the rubber seal and the machine. Needless to say that this arrangement serves as a safe haven for the mold growth.
Clean the Exterior
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Rag and all-purpose cleaner will do the trick here. For best results, clean the area along the rubber seal thoroughly and flip the seal if necessary for better cleaning.
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It is better to first clean the area with a dry rag, if the area contains any traces of mold or mildew it will come out on the rag and then will be much easier to repeat the process until the rag comes out clean.
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Once this primary task is accomplished, now use the all-purpose cleaner (or other cleaning agents of your choice like vinegar or bleach) to clean the surrounding area.
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In the end it is recommended to use the dry rag again around the area.
The next step is to clean the remaining exterior. Special attention needs to be given to the dispensers, where the powder or the liquid detergent dispensers are poured. Make sure that it is clean and free of hair and other remains.
Tips: Vinegar and soda can also be used if the cleaner doesn’t give the desired results.
Clean the Interior
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The final step is to fill the machine with hot water. Most new machine have self-cleaning cycle so if the machine have that option, you can always get benefited with that function.
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To enhance the quality of the wash, make sure to add hot water and a quart of bleach or other cleaning agents of your choice that are available on any grocery store. Otherwise use the long wash cycle which should be ideally followed with an extra rinse cycle.
Tips: After the completion of cleaning process, if there is a strong bleach smell then run a wash cycle with hot water. This will eliminate the smell as well as any remaining residues of mold in the machine.
Make sure the machine is completely empty if the bleach is used for the cleaning purpose.
Clean the Drain Filters
The drain filters usually get blocked by hair, fabric or other sources of residues, which in turn lead to issues in the water drainage. Additionally, the risk of other problems also increases that may affect the efficiency of machines (such as frequent pauses while the machine is running, unnecessary vibrations, or unusually long cycle time).
It is imperative to know that the positioning of the drain filter may vary depending on the design of the machine, but in most cases you can see it at the bottom or front of the washing machine.
Video that shows more details and tips on how to clean a front-loading washing machine:
